Method and system for automatically configuring redundant arrays of disk memory devices

• US 6,058,454 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Porter, Scott Lyon, Gerlach, Ralph John, Legband, Dale Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Eddie P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEAN MAYO, KIMBERLY N
• Application Number:
  US08/936,228
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/112, 711/115, 711/4, 711/170, 395/653, 395/182.01, 395/182.03, 395/182.05, 395/651, 395/182.04, 395/830, 395/828, 395/829, 395/831, 710/8, 710/9, 710/10, 710/11, 710/104, 713/1, 713/100, 714/3, 714/6, 714/7
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A method and system for autoconfiguring redundant arrays of memory storage devices contained within receptacles having one or more slots containing hardware sufficient to accept and electrically communicate with such memory storage devices. The capacities of the memory storage device receptacles for accepting memory storage devices are determined, and used to define an initial positioning of devices in at least one memory storage device receptacle. One or more asymmetrical groupings of memory storage devices is defined to permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of the memory storage devices with actual physical positions within the receptacle. Thereafter, additional devices are added into the receptacles such that the ability to equate electrically detected relative positions of the devices with physical positions is preserved.

Claims

1. A method for autoconfiguring redundant arrays of memory storage devices contained within one or more memory storage device receptacles where said receptacles have one or more slots containing hardware sufficient to accept and electrically communicate with said memory storage devices, said method comprising the steps of:

determining said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s capacity for accepting said memory storage devices;

defining an initial positioning of one or more memory storage devices in at least one memory storage device receptacle based upon said determined capacity;

defining one or more asymmetrical groupings based upon said determined capacity, and said defined initial positioning, where said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings permit said redundant arrays of memory storage devices to be autoconfigured therefrom; and

only adding additional memory storage devices into one or more of said memory storage device receptacles thereafter such that the ability of said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit said redundant arrays to be autoconfigured therefrom is preserved such that redundant arrays of memory storage devices can be autoconfigured from said one or more memory storage devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining one or more asymmetrical grouping further comprises the step of defining said one or more asymmetrical groupings such that said one or more asymmetrical groupings permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of only adding further comprises the step of adding said memory storage devices into said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles such that said ability of said one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle is preserved across said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of autoconfiguring arrays of memory storage devices utilizing said asymmetrical groupings.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of determining constraints arising from any combination of hardware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices and constraints arising from any combination of hardware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of defining characteristics of said redundant arrays that are to be autoconfigured from said memory storage devices.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of defining characteristics further comprises the step of defining a number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of defining characteristics further comprises the step of defining functions for each of said defined number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of autoconfiguring arrays further comprises the steps of:

determining, on the basis of electrical sensing and said asymmetrical groupings, a number of said memory storage device receptacles and a positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles; and

utilizing said determined positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles to autoconfigure said redundant arrays of memory storage device from said one or more memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles.

12. An apparatus for autoconfiguring redundant arrays of memory storage devices contained within one or more memory storage device receptacles where said receptacles have one or more slots containing hardware sufficient to accept and electrically communicate with said memory storage devices, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s capacity for accepting said memory storage devices;

means for defining an initial positioning of one or more memory storage devices in at least one memory storage device receptacle based upon said determined capacity;

means for defining one or more asymmetrical groupings based upon said determined capacity, and said defined initial positioning, where said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings permit said redundant arrays of memory storage devices to be autoconfigured therefrom; and

means for only adding additional memory storage devices into one or more of said memory storage device receptacles thereafter such that the ability of said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit said redundant arrays to be autoconfigured therefrom is preserved such that redundant arrays of memory storage devices can be autoconfigured from said one or more memory storage devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for defining one or more asymmetrical grouping further comprises means for defining said one or more asymmetrical groupings such that said one or more asymmetrical groupings permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for only adding further comprises means for adding said memory storage devices into said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles such that said ability of said one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle is preserved across said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means for autoconfiguring arrays of memory storage devices utilizing said asymmetrical groupings.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from any combination of hardware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices and constraints arising from any combination of hardware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for defining characteristics of said redundant arrays that are to be autoconfigured from said memory storage devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for defining characteristics further comprises means for defining a number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said means for defining characteristics further comprises means for defining functions for each of said defined number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for autoconfiguring arrays further comprises:

means for determining, on the basis of electrical sensing and said asymmetrical groupings, a number of said memory storage device receptacles and a positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles; and

means for utilizing said determined positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles to autoconfigure said redundant arrays of memory storage device from said one or more memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles.

23. A computer readable medium containing a program product for autoconfiguring redundant arrays of memory storage devices contained within one or more memory storage device receptacles where said receptacles have one or more slots containing hardware sufficient to accept and electrically communicate with said memory storage devices, said program product comprising:

means for determining said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s capacity for accepting said memory storage devices;

means for defining an initial positioning of one or more memory storage devices in at least one memory storage device receptacle based upon said determined capacity;

means for defining one or more asymmetrical groupings based upon said determined capacity, and said defined initial positioning, where said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings permit said redundant arrays of memory storage devices to be autoconfigured therefrom; and

means for only adding additional memory storage devices into one or more of said memory storage device receptacles thereafter such that the ability of said defined one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit said redundant arrays to be autoconfigured therefrom is preserved such that redundant arrays of memory storage devices can be autoconfigured from said one or more memory storage devices.

24. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23, wherein said signal bearing media further comprises recordable media.

25. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23, wherein said signal bearing media further comprises transmission media.

26. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 wherein said means for defining one or more asymmetrical grouping further comprises means for defining said one or more asymmetrical groupings such that said one or more asymmetrical groupings permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle.

27. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 26 wherein said means for only adding further comprises means for adding said memory storage devices into said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles such that said ability of said one or more asymmetrical groupings to permit an equation of electrically detected relative positions of said one or more memory storage devices with physical positions of said memory storage devices within a memory storage device receptacle is preserved across said one or more of said memory storage device receptacles.

28. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 further comprising means for autoconfiguring arrays of memory storage devices utilizing said asymmetrical groupings.

29. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices.

30. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from any combination of hardware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

31. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for determining constraints arising from the ability of said memory storage device receptacle'"'"'s ability to physically accommodate said memory storage devices and constraints arising from any combination of hard ware and software utilized by said memory storage device receptacles.

32. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 23 wherein said means for determining further comprises means for defining characteristics of said redundant arrays that are to be autoconfigured from said memory storage devices.

33. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 32 wherein said means for defining characteristics further comprises means for defining a number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

34. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 33 wherein said means for defining characteristics further comprises means for defining functions for each of said defined number of disks to be utilized within said redundant arrays.

35. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 28 wherein said means for autoconfiguring arrays further comprises:

means for determining, on the basis of electrical sensing and said asymmetrical groupings, a number of said memory storage device receptacles and a positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles; and

means for utilizing said determined positioning of one or more of said memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles to autoconfigure said redundant arrays of memory storage device from said one or more memory storage devices within said number of said memory storage device receptacles.